Blog Archives
Zero Degrees of Innovation?
Patterns only become patterns if something is repeated enough times.
And the following blog post will highlight impressive alumni.
Elon Musk is best known for his innovative work on Tesla cars and SpaceX. Tesla focuses on electric cars, which includes the Model 3 (starting at $35,000 before any tax breaks). SpaceX focuses on technology built and imagined for space ventures. Mr. Musk is viewed by many as a Steve Jobs-like thinker who is changing the game of transportation on Earth and in the stars. Part of the attraction to Mr. Musk’s way of thinking is that he breaks from conventional wisdom. Norms do not appear to impress Elon Musk.
For instance, listen to what he thinks of college degrees within the space of creativity, innovation and potential.
While it’s not quite as simple to declare a high school or college degree inconsequential, Mr. Musk’s point does raise valid concerns in attempting to view the potential of applicants. If a firm wants conventional results, then a conventional approach works. But if a firm wants unconventional results, then past ways of determining skill and potential demand revision and a procedural overhaul.
If only Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Larry Ellison had track records of success…
I____I (A Director Framing That Perfect Shot)
When a movie becomes more than a movie to us, that’s when a movie transforms into that movie.
We love films for countless reasons that are equally objective and subjective. Whether it’s the story, cast, settings, director, subject or that it simply arrived at seemingly the perfect time during our life for some reason or another, we never forget our favorite movies. Part of this admiration typically includes an unforgettable shot(s) by the director. These visionary moments, either revolutionary or an example of a trademark directorial style, speak to us in profound ways.
True story.
Thankfully, YouTube exists and serves as a prime medium for creating and sharing content that speaks to us in myriad fashions. For this blog post, YouTube user The Solomon Society has gifted viewers with a video deftly titled, “The Most Beautiful Shots In Movie History.” I would add some different shots (and delete a few), but the video below is off to a good start.
When one shot can capture the magic of an entire movie, that’s typically when people declare (personally and publicly) we need to see that movie.
The Checks (and Balance?) of Precision Craftsmanship
“Columbus Crew SC will live stream a historic club jersey partnership announcement on Facebook Live on Friday, February 24, at 11:30 a.m. ET in a press conference held at MAPFRE Stadium.”
–Crew SC Communications
First, the Owner/Chairman of Columbus Crew SC and MAPFRE Stadium, Anthony Precourt, cleverly teased “Fresh bananas arriving soon” in his Twitter account back on February 10th. Second, the Crew SC Communications team promises “a historic club jersey partnership.”
Bottom line: This better be good for Columbus Crew Crew SC fans.
Specifically regarding jerseys, Mr. Precourt and Co. have a mixed record. While he and his team designed a fantastic black checkered kit with a great local partner (Barbasol), the same corporate team also (purposefully, if you can believe it) chose to inject the colors from the little known Columbus, OH flag (I barely know it and I was born and raised in Columbus, OH) for a genuinely atrocious soccer kit. To add insult to injury, the team had horrible performances while wearing their Minion kits. Talk about poetic justice.
The Good
And That Time When Ugly Called Something Else Ugly
(Look at their faces!)
As the Joker would say: “And here we GO…”
The black checkered jersey (seen above) will remain the same, except with the new Acura logo/sponsorship.
At first glance, the v-neck is fine, the State of Ohio flag is a nice addition and the Charter Member #01 is a cool, subtle statement. The new Acura sponsorship is fine (a local connection), but Barbasol was also a worthy local sponsor. Time will tell to see what advertising and marketing campaigns Mr. Precourt and Co. have in mind for promoting Acura as being synonymous with Crew SC specifically and the city of Columbus, OH more broadly.
Acura’s slogan is, “Precision Crafted Performance.” After last season and the 2015 MLS Cup Final, Crew SC was smart to adopt this corporate slogan…and hopefully as a coaching strategy?
Returning back to the new 2017 kits, for some reason, the black and gold checkered pattern is tripping me up because while it’s a great design (I actually won an award for using that precise color scheme and design for/inside a headline in my high school’s yearbook), the placement seems…awkward. It’s unclear at the moment as to whether the checkered pattern’s placement balances the rest of the jersey, kit and complementary design elements.
Still, kudos for incorporating the checkered pattern into Crew SC’s famous “banana kits.” However, until the full kit (shorts and socks) are revealed, the verdict on the 2017 “banana kits” will remain TBD. The fact that Mr. Precourt and Co. prioritized telling Crew SC’s story through its jersey design does deserve high marks.
Now it’s time to play better soccer on the pitch, trade for Mix Diskerud (among many other necessary personnel changes) and for Mr. Precourt to grow a spine and declare to Los Angeles Football Club that the colors black & gold are officially the MLS property of THE Crew SC.
After all, as he and his team declared with their new 2017 kits, Columbus Crew SC is Charter Member #01.
We’ll discover soon if that truth actually means anything to the front office of Crew SC.
Changing IDEOlogy
IDEO’s approach to innovation and business deserves one very succinct word:
Amen.
Diversity is not restricted by race or gender, but expands in equal capacity and wonder to thought process. How we think certainly varies based on our gender and our personal experiences growing up in different places, as well as growing up in the same place as our peers. Incredibly, there are no limits to creativity, especially if (and when) we adopt a more lively dynamic to be initiated for problem-solving.
This is where IDEO comes into play to redefine not only what we innovate, but how we innovate in the 21st century with proof from the late 20th century. And this solution is people-centric. Keep in mind this aforementioned proof includes the very first mouse for Apple, as directly requested by this guy who went by the name of Steve Jobs. Exploring what IDEO’s founder David Kelley and his brother Tom Kelley deem as “creative confidence” that’s currently in concert with Stanford University has the potential to gradually revolutionize not only how universities design curriculum, but also how businesses in a myriad of industries could (and should) approach hiring and operating in the not-so-distant future.
Currently, there is IDEO (the company), IDEO U (offering online courses for the public) and D.School (Stanford Graduate Students).
To put a finer point on it, IDEO is Silicon Valley’s transferable future to us all.
While no “app” is necessary, the application of IDEO’s ideas should be downloaded ASAP.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 